Nearby Words

gastrulae

[gas-troo-luh]

gas·tru·la

[gas-troo-luh]
noun, plural -las, -lae [-lee] . Embryology.
a metazoan embryo in an early state of germ layer formation following the blastula stage, consisting of a cuplike body of two layers of cells, the ectoderm and endoderm, enclosing a central cavity, or archenteron, that opens to the outside by the blastopore: in most animals progressing to the formation of a third cell layer, the mesoderm.

Origin:
1875–80; < Neo-Latin; see gastro-, -ule

gas·tru·lar, adjective
pre·gas·tru·lar, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Gastrulae is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

gastrula gas·tru·la (gās'trə-lə)
n. pl. gas·tru·las or gas·tru·lae (-lē')
An embryo at the stage following the blastula, consisting of a hollow, two-layered sac of ectoderm and endoderm surrounding an archenteron that communicates with the exterior through the blastopore.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
gastrula   (gās'trə-lə)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural gastrulas or gastrulae (gās'trə-lē')
An animal embryo at the stage following the blastula. The gastrula develops from the blastula by invagination (inpocketing), forming an inner cavity with an opening and causing the cells to be distributed into an outer layer (ectoderm) and an inner layer (endoderm). In complex animals such as vertebrates, a third layer (mesoderm) also forms. These layers later develop into the organs and tissues of the body. In vertebrates and other deuterostomes, the opening of the gastrula becomes the anus, while in protostomes (such as arthropods), it becomes the mouth. ◇ The development of an embryo from blastula to gastrula is called gastrulation. Compare blastula.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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